Master of disguise: deconvoluting adipose tissue heterogeneity and its impact on metabolic health

Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2023 Aug:81:102085. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102085. Epub 2023 Jul 6.

Abstract

Adipose tissue in its different forms: white, brown, and beige, while essential in day-to-day bodily functions, leads to several disorders when present in overabundance, including obesity and type-2 diabetes. Adipose tissue function/dysfunction is largely mediated by the diversity of its cell composition, within adipocytes and cells in its stromal fraction. Owing to its heterogeneous nature, recent studies have focused on intercalating the effects of cellular diversity with adipose tissue function, particularly by employing sequencing technologies. In this review, we highlight the recent advances in utilizing single-cell and single-nuclei RNA sequencing technologies to discover novel adipose tissue cell types or subtypes, and to determine their role in mediating tissue, as well as whole-body metabolism and function.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2*
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Humans
  • Obesity / metabolism